Impact of Qingke (hulless barley) application on antioxidant capacity and flavor compounds of beer

As a promising adjunct material to beer brewing, Qingke (hulless barley) can provide sufficient hydrolyzable starch and rich nutrients for beer brewing. In this study, the effect of Qingke addition on the physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity and flavor composition of beer was evaluated. The results showed that the addition of Qingke reduced the turbidity (25.03 NTU) and color (19.48 EBC) of the beer. The Qingke adjunct beer was enriched with more bioactive substances, which also made the Qingke adjunct beer exhibit better antioxidant capacity. The addition of Qingke resulted in elevated levels of higher alcohols (68.29 mg/L) and esters (76.71 mg/L). The addition of Qingke decreased the amount of volatile acid in the beer (5.84 mg/L). This study has guiding significance for the application of Qingke in beer industry.